Council replaces 'overzealous' parking wardens with Royal British Legion veterans

'Overzealous' parking wardens in a Lancashire town will be replaced by Royal British Legion officials in a bid to encourage more shoppers into the town.

Chorley Council has brokered a deal to replace much-criticised Parkwise wardens with a new system fronted by former soldiers.

The Royal British Legion will take over parking enforcement in the town's 13 pay-and-display car parks from September in a move expected to save around £25,000 a year.

Members of the Royal British Legion will enforce parking in pay-and-display car parks in Chorley from September (file picture)

Legion Group plc has a long and distinguished history dating back to 1921, when the British Legion was formed to help the many disabled and unemployed veterans from World War One.

British Legion branches started offering parking services to small car parks, which then spread across the whole country.

But the new enforcement officers will only be able to hand out tickets at Chorley car parks, while Lancashire County Council will remain in charge of on-street parking.

That will mean there will be two sets of wardens on patrol.

Councillor Peter Goldsworthy, leader of Chorley Council, said the move was a 'new start for Chorley'.

He said: 'Unfortunately there is nothing we can do about the on-street enforcement, that comes under the county council's remit and we can't change that.

'However, we knew it was important that changes were made in the way the system was administered.

'Parking wardens have a tough job to do and it will never be popular but in the past we believe the system has been overly aggressive.

'We hope by having a more mature set of people on patrol it will be a positive change that will encourage more people into Chorley.'

Enforcement for on street parking in Chorley will still be carried out by Lancashire County Council

Exact details of the new scheme are still being finalised, but members of the Royal British Legion will hand out tickets and Swindon-based IT company Chipside will be responsible for administration.

Tony Goddard, head of parking services for the Legion Group, said: 'We do a lot of work in the Lancashire area but at this moment in time I cannot comment on our business activities in the Chorley area because they are still being discussed.'

Parkwise, which is part of Lancashire County Council, works on behalf of all the county's 12 districts, but its contract is due to expire in September after five years.